No two Thanksgiving tables look alike. Sure, you might find some combination of turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin at many dinner tables across the country, but it’s the stories and traditions behind them that make the meal so special. In the spirit of the holidays, we put a call out to our shoppers for their tried and true family recipes. The dishes that have a place at the table year in and year out. The ones the kids wait all year to enjoy. The ones that tell us something about who our shoppers are or where they came from. Whether these recipes are passed down through generations or a twist on a classic, Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without them. What resulted is a virtual potluck of some of our favorite stories and dishes from shoppers across our cities. We’re thankful to have them — and you — at the Shipt table. Let’s eat!

Whether you’re in charge of turkey, dessert, or the entire spread, let Shipt get the groceries while you make holiday memories with the ones you love.

Tom B.’s Alabama Sweet Potato Casserole

Tom was thirteen when he met the “fine Southern gal” who introduced him to sweet potatoes for the first time. He’d joined his brother and his family for Thanksgiving dinner at their home in Tuscaloosa, AL, where his sister-in-law made a pecan-and-brown-sugar-topped casserole that stole the show. The inventor of the recipe was her grandmother, who Tom remembers as a petite, white-haired lady born and raised in Alabama — who also stole the show as Tom’s favorite dinner guest.

“She was a hoot,” Tom remembers. At the end of the meal she wrote the recipe down for Tom, who made the dish for every Thanksgiving in the twenty years since. While the written recipe was lost in the shuffle of many moves around the country, Tom knows it by heart.

“My life has changed quite a bit in the last few years, and so have my traditions,” says Tom, who now has a low-key celebration with family in Nashville. Everyone pitches in for dinner, and they can always count on Tom’s Alabama sweet potato casserole stealing the show.

Tom says

“When people think of sweet potato casserole, they tend to think it’s healthier. This is more like a dessert.” At Thanksgiving, that’s something we have no trouble getting on board with.”

Ingredients

Casserole

6-7 sweet potatoes (approximately 3 pounds)

½ cup butter, softened

1 large egg, beaten

⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

½ cup granulated sugar

Topping

1 cup brown sugar

⅓ cup flour

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, turning the potatoes once. (Note: I prefer baking 45 mins at 425F)

When the sweet potatoes are fork tender remove from the microwave and cool completely. Remove the skin and discard.